Sony’s new flagship camera costs $6,500 and comes with some incredible specs

Say hello to Alpha 1. Sony’s new flagship camera comes with a new 50.1MP sensor, 10-bit 8K video and Eye AF that works on birds!

While the Alpha 1 is significantly more expensive than the most high-end mirrorless cameras Canon and Nikon have to offer right now, but Sony promises that those who do buy it will get the “most technologically advanced, innovative camera” they have ever made. (Sony/The Verge)

Sony's latest flagship camera is their most advanced mirrorless camera yet. The Alpha 1 costs $6,500 ( ₹4,73,989 approx) and features a new 50.1-megapixel full-frame sensor, it can record 8K video at 30fps and is capable of continuous photo shooting at 30 images per second. The Sony Alpha 1 starts shipping in March.

While the Alpha 1 is significantly more expensive than the most high-end mirrorless cameras Canon and Nikon have to offer right now, but Sony promises that those who do buy it will get the “most technologically advanced, innovative camera” they have ever made.

The Alpha 1 has a large sensor but sony says the “buffer lets you shoot up to 155 full-frame compressed RAW images or 165 full-frame JPEG images at up to 30 frames per second with the electronic shutter while maintaining full AF and AE tracking performance”, which is a “dream” for sports and action photographers.

Alpha 1's autofocus and autoexposure system can make up to 120 calculations per seconds, as per reports, and you'll be looking through a high-resolution OLED electronic viewfinder with a refresh rate of 240Hz — something Sony claims is a world first. The Alpha 1 offers five-axis, in-body image stabilisation and a standard ISO range of 100–32,000 (expandable to 50–102,400 for stills).

As The Verge points out, Sony's autofocus system is “still perhaps the best in the game”, and Sony says the Alpha 1 speeds up the Eye AF “even further when focusing on humans and pets. And with this camera, Eye AF will also work on birds”. Sony also says that the “optimised algorithms ensure that tracking is maintained even if a sitting bird suddenly takes flight, or the framing suddenly changes.”

On the Alpha 1, the flash sync speeds have been pushed up to 1/400 second (with mechanical shutter), and the silent electronic shutter supports sync speeds of up to 1/200 sec. The rolling shutter has been reduced due to high-speed sensor readout, and Sony says that it can unleash that full 30fps continuous shooting without any blackout. Flicker under LED lighting conditions is also mitigated since the Alpha 1 can match the shutter speed to flicker frequency.

For video, the Alpha 1 can shoot 8K30 and 4K120, both in 10-bit, and recording 4K at up to 60fps allows for full-sensor readout without any pixel binning. And adding an external recorder to the mix will let you capture 16-bit RAW video.

This is the best camera Sony has to offer right now and the price reflects it.